Various kinds of inventions have been heretofore made relating to in which order each bend line of a sheet metal part having a complicated shape is bent, and which die is to be used for bending each bend line.
For example, a method for automatically determining a bending sequence and a bending die to be used for each bending by cost calculation or heuristically by giving constraint or cost with respect to a plurality of bend lines, is described in a publication specification laid-open of international patent application WO96/15481.
In this method, however, only one bending sequence and one bending die to be used for respective bending in the bending sequence, which are considered to be most suitable by a computer, are determined. The determined bending sequence and bending die in the bending sequence may be the most suitable bending sequence and bending die, to the best of recognition of the computer.
However, such a solution may not suit in a site such as a bending factory, or may not be most suitable.
The present invention has been achieved in order to solve the above problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus or method, which can optimally determine a bending sequence and a bending die for a sheet metal part having a bent portion, adapted for a site in a bending factory, or in accordance with specific circumstances in the site.